Scottish Executive

Cities

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what joint working there should be between the City of Edinburgh Council and Scottish Borders Council with regard to funding allocations arising from the Cities Review.

Mr Andy Kerr: We expect to see collaboration between the City of Edinburgh Council and other councils in the delivery of its city vision and city growth fund allocation. The best mechanism for this is for the councils to determine.

Digital Technology

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-774 by Tavish Scott on 19 June 2003, how many of the tenders for Pathfinder projects are from the (a) public and (b) private sector; when contracts will be signed, and when work will commence.

Tavish Scott: The evaluation of the outline proposals is still ongoing and until this process is complete it is not possible to estimate with accuracy when contracts might be signed and work on the projects might commence.

Finance

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to direct capital funding to areas of deprivation.

Tavish Scott: The formula used to distribute financial support for capital expenditure to local authorities takes account of a wide range of factors, including relative deprivation. It is up to each council to decide how best to direct its resources according to local needs and priorities.

  From 2004-05 onwards, the existing limits on council’s capital expenditure will be replaced by a new prudential system. This will allow local authorities to set the level of capital borrowing they consider they can afford, within the limits of prudential indicators.

Health

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what regard it expects the Scottish Medicines Consortium to have to its policies and strategies when determining approvals of medicines.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive expects the Scottish Medicines Consortium to take full regard of its policies and strategies.

Health

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of expertise is expected of members of the Scottish Medicines Consortium and whether the consortium complements the expertise of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence and the Medicines Control Agency.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive expects the same level of expertise from the members of the Scottish Medicines Consortium as members of committees advising the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (former Medicines Control Agency) would have, for example the Medicines Commission and the Committee on Safety of Medicine. The Chairman of the Scottish Medicines Consortium is the former Chairman of the Medicines Commission and Committee on the Review of Medicines.

Justice

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-972 by Cathy Jamieson on 5 June 2003, by what process the First Minister arrives at decision on nominations for the Lord President of the Court of Session and Lord Justice Clerk.

Hugh Henry: By Statute, the First Minister must consult the current Lord President and Lord Justice Clerk before making his nomination. He would also consult cabinet colleagues with knowledge of the field of candidates for consideration.

Justice

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-972 by Cathy Jamieson on 5 June 2003, what the process would be if the Prime Minister did not accept one of the First Minister’s nominations to fill the vacant office of (a) Lord President of the Court of Session and (b) Lord Justice Clerk.

Hugh Henry: The Statute envisages that the First Minister and Prime Minister will come to an agreement on these matters and there is no precedent for their not doing so.

Justice

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-972 by Cathy Jamieson on 5 June 2003, whether it intends to establish the Judicial Appointments Board on a statutory basis.

Hugh Henry: Ministers have made clear since the inception of the board that it was their intention to place it on a statutory footing after a period of experience of working administratively. That remains the Executive's policy.

Justice

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-972 by Cathy Jamieson on 5 June 2003, for what period members of the Judicial Appointment Board are appointed.

Hugh Henry: All members of the board, including the chair, were appointed for three years in the first instance.

Justice

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-972 by Cathy Jamieson on 5 June 2003, what interests members of the Judicial Appointments Board are required to declare and whether any such declaration of interests is available for public examination.

Hugh Henry: Members are required to declare any conflict of interest which may affect prejudicially their performance as members of the board. They are also asked to declare any political activity. Members have confirmed that they see no conflicts of interest and that none is involved in political activity. During the selection process for new appointments to the bench individual members of the board withdrew from certain interviews of candidates who are well known to them.

Justice

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-972 by Cathy Jamieson on 5 June 2003, by what process members of the Judicial Appointments Board are appointed and who appoints them.

Hugh Henry: The lay members of the board were appointed after public advertisement and interview. Three of the five legal members were also interviewed. The High Court judge was nominated by the Lord President. The Sheriff Principal was nominated by the convener of the Sheriffs principal group. In all cases the First Minister made the appointments.

Museums

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether museums are entitled to seek funding from EventScotland for specific events at their venues.

Mr Frank McAveety: If a museum proposes to use its premises to host a major event which meets the funding priorities set out in the Executive’s major events strategy, it would be able to approach EventScotland with a case for support. However, funding from EventScotland will not normally be available to assist museums with the costs of mounting exhibitions.

Organ Donation

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to increase the number of organ donors on the national register.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive is continuing to taking forward work to implement the recommendations in the Scottish Transplant Group’s Organ Donation Strategy for Scotland , published in July 2002, which set out a range of initiatives to help increase organ donation rates. These include:

  the development of a major national publicity campaign to raise awareness of organ donation issues, aimed at encouraging people to add their names to the NHS Organ Donor Register, as well as making sure those closest to them are aware of their wishes; and

  the preparation of a teaching resource pack on organ donation and transplantation to be made available to schools as a teaching aid which explores the complex range of ethical and moral issues surrounding organ donation and transplantation. Over time, this should raise public awareness of the subject, discussion within families and boost the number of names on the Organ Donor Register.

Organ Donation

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish residents have been registered as organ donors in each NHS board area in each of the last five years.

Malcolm Chisholm: Details of the new registrations in each NHS board area are set out in the table. Because of an overhaul by NHS UK Transplant of the Organ Donor Register database in 2000, the information requested is only available from 2001.

  

 

2001



2002 
  

2003 
  



Argyll and Clyde 
  

8,619 
  

9,908 
  

4,083 
  



Ayrshire and Arran 
  

6,558 
  

7,344 
  

3,844 
  



Borders 
  

2,924 
  

3,341 
  

1,466 
  



Dumfries and Galloway 
  

2,762 
  

3,107 
  

1,514 
  



Fife 
  

8,449 
  

8,539 
  

4,392 
  



Forth Valley 
  

5,756 
  

6,099 
  

2,799 
  



Grampian 
  

12,947 
  

14,994 
  

8,202 
  



Greater Glasgow 
  

28,634 
  

40,132 
  

4,834* 
  



Highland 
  

4,276 
  

5,752 
  

3,091 
  



Lanarkshire 
  

7,017 
  

8,948 
  

3,647 
  



Lothian 
  

22,864 
  

25,455 
  

13,008 
  



Orkney 
  

432 
  

501 
  

226 
  



Shetland 
  

450 
  

590 
  

277 
  



Tayside 
  

7,914 
  

8,690 
  

10,865* 
  



Western Isles 
  

523 
  

586 
  

301 
  



Total 
  

120,125 
  

143,986 
  

63,549 
  



  Note:

  *NHS UK Transplant is currently reviewing these figures, which appear to be anomalous.

Planning

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many appeals it has heard in respect of phone masts and how many such appeals have been upheld.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: During the period 1 January 1999 to 30 June 2003 the Scottish Executive Inquiry Reporters Unit determined a total of 97 appeals in respect of various types of telephone masts - 75 of these were successful. All the appeals were determined by way of the written submission and site inspection procedure.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what performance points were accrued by the operating company of HM Prison Kilmarnock, broken down for each heading and subsection in Schedule F to the Minute of Agreement between the Secretary of State for Scotland and Kilmarnock Prison Services Limited for the Design, Construction, Management and Financing of a Prison at Kilmarnock , for the quarter April to June 2003.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  Performance Points:

  


2.1 (e) 
  

Failure to input basic details into prisoner records 
  

25 
  



2.1 (f) 
  

Failure to process accurate warrant details 
  

10 
  



2.1 (g) 
  

Discovery within prison of smuggled in items 
  

100 
  



2.1 (i ) 
  

Failure of security procedures 
  

170 
  



2.2(a) 
  

Staff assault – serious injury 
  

0 
  






Minor injury 
  

20 
  


 

No injury 
  

20 
  



2.2(b) 
  

Prisoner assault – serious injury 
  

0 
  


 

Minor injury 
  

40 
  


 

No injury 
  

55 
  



2.2(c) 
  

Incident of concerted indiscipline 
  

60 
  



2.2(f) 
  

Incident of self harm 
  

5 
  



2.2 (g) 
  

Incident of class A drugs 
  

350 
  



2.2(h) 
  

Incident of drugs other than class A 
  

70 
  



2.2(m) 
  

Tool/implement loss (not recovered) 
  

12 
  



  


2.4(b) 
  

Failure to deliver work hours (Sentenced Prisoners)
Provision of 76 – 95% of hours
Provision of 66 –75% of hours
Provision of 56 – 65% of hours
Provision of equal or less than 55% 
  


5
0
0
0



2.4(d) 
  

Failure to provide structured activity hours (sentenced 
  prisoners)
Provision of 76 – 95% of hours
Provision of 66 – 75% of hours
Provision of 56 – 54% of hours
Provision of Equal or less than 55% 
  

10
0
0
0



2.5(b) 
  

Failure to start visits within 20 minutes 
  

5

Public Private Partnerships

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has paid to Partnerships UK in each year since the foundation of Partnerships UK.

Tavish Scott: The following table shows how much the Scottish Executive has paid to Partnerships UK in each year since the foundation of Partnerships UK (PUK).

  


Year 
  

Amount (£) 
  

Reason 
  



2002 
  

25,270 
  

Work on development of Scottish schools standard 
  PPP contract 
  



2002 
  

15,727 
  

M74 Motorway – scoping exercise 
  



2003 
  

1,762 
  

Presentation at Scottish Executive’s 
  workshop on Scottish Schools standard PPP contract payment 
  mechanism 
  



2003 
  

21,136 
  

Drafting work on technical guidance note 
  on scoping of services and in-house involvement in PPPs 
  



2003 
  

22,303 
  

Carrying out key stage reviews on schools 
  projects prior to issue of invitation to negotiate 
  



2003 
  

235,000 
  

Support for development of non profit distributing 
  organisation model and piloting in Argyll and Bute schools 
  (part payment) 
  



2003 
  

380,000 
  

Reimbursement by Scottish Executive of Midlothian 
  Council’s fees for PUK for their schools PPP project 
  – PUK paid directly by the council 
  



2003 
  

400,000 
  

Reimbursement by Scottish Executive of East 
  Lothian Council’s fees for PUK for their Schools PPP 
  project – PUK paid directly by the council

Public Private Partnerships

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive in which of its projects Partnerships UK has been involved since the foundation of Partnerships UK.

Tavish Scott: Partnerships UK has been directly involved in the Scottish Executive M74 Public Private Partnership project.

Public Private Partnerships

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it paid for its financial interest in Partnerships UK.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive paid £2 million for a 4.4% stake in Partnerships UK in 2001.

Royal Mail

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-829 by Nicol Stephen on 27 June 2003, whether it has requested, or will request, any information from the Royal Mail about the basis, assumptions and projected impact of the proposal to cease rail operations and what the reasons are for its position on the matter; what information it has received on these issues, and what steps it will take in order to determine the impact on road traffic and road maintenance.

Nicol Stephen: I intend meeting the Royal Mail shortly to discuss its proposal to cease rail operations. Until then, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further.

Voluntary Sector

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how long the proposed study of the pattern of services provided by voluntary organisations that support families in transition, as referred to in Parents and Children, will take from design to conclusion and whether, in order to facilitate as a matter of urgency the stable and adequate funding of voluntary organisations, it will initiate this study in advance of the introduction or passing of any family law bill, as referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland .

Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive is strongly committed to supporting families in transition and values the role of the voluntary sector in providing marriage and relationship support. Funding in this area has doubled since 2000 and in 2003-04, the family organisations will receive grants totalling £1.188 million. Three-quarters of this funding goes to family mediation organisations. An on-going external consultancy review is considering the funding arrangements and corporate governance of Family Mediation Scotland and affiliated local mediation services. The review is due to conclude in the autumn. A recent consultation on merging voluntary sector funding for services for children and young people sought views on whether grants for marriage and relationship support should be included in an integrated fund. The consultation responses are currently being analysed. The continued development of the role of the voluntary organisations in supporting families in transition will be informed by the family mediation review, the consultation responses on merging funding streams, and the regular discussions which take place between the family organisations and the Scottish Executive.